Friday, 31 January 2014

Blackout at the Big Game? No Problem for Pictures; New "Photodetector" Nanotechnology Allows Photos in Near Darkness: Consumer cameras, MRI machines etc....

Dark and blurry low light photos could soon be a thing of the past,
thanks to the development of game-changing ultrathin "nanosheets," which
could dramatically improve imaging technology used in everything from
cell phone cameras, video cameras, solar cells, and even medical imaging
equipment such as MRI machines.

This pioneering research, which
was published in ACS Nano, would also be cost-effective to implement.
The ultrathin indium(III) selenide (In2Se3) -based photodetectors use
less material because they consist of nano-sized components that are
highly efficient at detecting light in real-time. As a result, this
technology is perfectly suited for inclusion in a wide variety of
everyday devices, including today's smartphones, which are often used to
take pictures, but suffer from limitations in low light environments.
This research could allow even novice photographers to take sharper
images, even in the midst of a blackout during the biggest game of the
year.Currently, the sensors in digital cameras cannot take
quality images under low-light conditions. For example, taking a good
picture in a dimly lit room requires a long exposure, which often
results in a blurred image. Hollywood needs to use special lights and
filters to make a scene appear dark because filming must be done in
well-lit conditions. Future cameras based on these nanosheet
photodetectors may be able to provide a robust, real-time picture in
even the most extreme low light conditions. The work could also lead to next-generation
applications, making solar panels more efficient, scientific instruments
more precise, and medical imaging equipment even more accurate, which
shows the power of CNSE's nano-based research to find technological
solutions for a range of industries. This research is exciting
state-of-the-art facilities, because it could
lead to more efficient imaging devices for the improvement of
healthcare, the advancement of real-time video recording, and the
development of more efficient photovoltaics, all of which have the
potential to improve countless lives.